Question

Raster (.adf) files to elevation points?

  • 22 January 2018
  • 5 replies
  • 9 views

I am new to ArcMap & FME. I was given a bunch of large .adf files which I need turned into elevations, even just point (x,y,z) coordinates to make a tin in Microstation. Does anybody know the correct transformer(s) to do this, or if its even possible with FME?


5 replies

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You have a couple of different options. Presumably the adf files in this case are ArcGIS Binary Grid (as opposed to ArcInfo coverage files). FME does have a reader for both.

Assuming it's a raster you can use a RasterCellCoercer to turn it into individual points, and a CoordinateExtractor to get the coordinate values as attributes rather than just geometry. And then write them into whatever format you want to read in Microstation (including dgn).

Alternatively you can create the tin itself in FME via the SurfaceModeller or TinGenerator transformers.

You have a couple of different options. Presumably the adf files in this case are ArcGIS Binary Grid (as opposed to ArcInfo coverage files). FME does have a reader for both.

Assuming it's a raster you can use a RasterCellCoercer to turn it into individual points, and a CoordinateExtractor to get the coordinate values as attributes rather than just geometry. And then write them into whatever format you want to read in Microstation (including dgn).

Alternatively you can create the tin itself in FME via the SurfaceModeller or TinGenerator transformers.

Thank you for the reply. I have actually used RasterCellCoercer but my next question is, does it seem normal to take 4 hours, only be 8.9% complete with apparently 86,xxx,xxx points so far?

 

 

Badge +22
Thank you for the reply. I have actually used RasterCellCoercer but my next question is, does it seem normal to take 4 hours, only be 8.9% complete with apparently 86,xxx,xxx points so far?

 

 

Unfortunately raster to vector coercion is one of the places where FME is extremely slow. You may have better performance converting the raster to a point cloud (PointCloudCombiner) and then a PointCloudCoercer (Individual Points).

 

 

Personally I would either convert the raster into a (raster) format that microstation can handle or generate the tin in FME.

 

 

Unfortunately raster to vector coercion is one of the places where FME is extremely slow. You may have better performance converting the raster to a point cloud (PointCloudCombiner) and then a PointCloudCoercer (Individual Points).

 

 

Personally I would either convert the raster into a (raster) format that microstation can handle or generate the tin in FME.

 

 

Appreciate the help. As of now, we aren't sure on a way to get Microstation to read it. I'll try your next option, thanks!
Badge +22
Appreciate the help. As of now, we aren't sure on a way to get Microstation to read it. I'll try your next option, thanks!
Per this page geotiffs should work. https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/4179/raster-manager-in-microstation-v8i-faq

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